Cigarette-case.



J. SPILLANE.

ClGARETTE CASE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, I915.

Patented June 13 ATIOR/VEYS JAMES SPILLANE, or new YORK, N. Y.

CIGARETTE-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

Application filed June 26, 1915. Serial No. 36,486.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES SPILLANE, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of the city of New York,VVestchester, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, haveinvented a new and Improved Cigarette-Case, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved cigarettecase arranged to permit of conveniently filling it with cigarettes, toallow of singly pushing the cigarettes partly out of the case for 'finalremoval by the user and to prevent injury to the cigarettes in the caseespecially while ejecting the same.

In order to accomplish the desired result, useis made of a box adaptedto contain a row of cigarettes and having a delivery opening in one sidenear one end of the box, the latter having a slot in the said end, aspring-actuated follower in the said box adapted to exert a pressure onthe cigarettes to hold the foremost cigarette in register with the saiddelivery opening, an-ejector chamber in the said end of the box andhaving a slot leading into the box, an ejector slidable in the saidchamber and provided with a finger piece extending through the said endslot to the outside of the box, the said ejector having one end passingthrough the said chamber slot and the said-end having a foot pieceadapted to engage one end of the foremost cigarette, the .other end ofwhich is in register with the said delivery opening, and a spring in thesaid ejector chamber and pressing the saide ector tonormally hold thelatter in retracted position. Use is also made of a covering plateextending over a portion of the box and provided with a guideway for afinger piece held on the spring-actuated follower to allow ofconveniently retracting the follower when filling the box withcigarettes.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming apart of this specification, in

- which similar characters of reference indi-- cate correspondin partsin all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of the cigarette case with the foremostcigarette partly pushed out of the case for removal by the user; Fig. 2is a similar view of the cigarette case with the. cover opened and theejector chamber shown in section; Fig. 3 is an edge view of the samewiththe cover in closed position; Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the sameon the line L-A of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional plan View of the same on the line 5-5 ofFig. 2; Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the ejector; and Fig. 7 isa'similar view of the follower.

A box A, of sheet metal or other suitable material is adapted to containa row of cigarettes B and on one side of the said box A is hinged acover C for normally keeping the box A closed. In the upper end of thebox A is formed an ejector chamber D from which leads a-slot'E formed inthe said upper end of the box A. In the right-hand side of the box Aadjacent the right-hand side of the ejector chamber D is formed adelivery opening F for the passage of the foremost cigarette in the boxA, as hereinafter more fully explained, it being understood that thecover C is provided at its free side with a cut-out portion C inregister with the delivery opening F, (see Fig. 3) so as not to obstructthe free passage of the foremost cigarette. The inner or bottom wall Dof the chamber D is slightly concave to correspond to the cancavity ofthe foremost cigarette B, as plainly shown in Fig. 4, and the edge ofthe wall D adjacent the bottom of the box A is'spaced from the latter soas to form a slot D The foremost cigarette is adapted to be pushedpartly out through the delivery opening F by the use of a foot piece Gof an ejector Gr arranged within the ejector chamber D'. The ejector Gis in the form of a blade having its inner end terminating inthe footpiece G provided with a guideway G engaging the lower edge of the innerwall D of the chamber D so as to guide the ejector G in its movementwithin the. chamber D. A spring 'H is attachedat one end to an upturnedlug The ejector G is provided with a finger piece 2 i memos Gr extendingthrough the slot E to the outalong in the slot E and thus cause the foot65 side of the box A so that the user of the cigapiece G of the ejectorG to push the forerette case can conveniently engage the finger mostcigarette partly out of the delivery iece G with a view to slide theejector G opening F, as previously explained. The 5 from the left to theright thus pushing the user then releases the pressure on the lingerforemost cigarette partly through the depiece G to allow the ejector toreturn to nor- 7e livery opening F to permit the user to finally malinactive position, and then the forepull the cigarette out of the boxeither by most cigarette is pulled completely out of the use of one handor the lips, as suits the the box A. "When this takes place, the 10convenience of the user/ The movement o spring-pressed follower I pushesthe remainthe ejector G to the right is limited by the ing cigarettesforward in the box A until 75 finger piece Gr reaching the right-handend the foremost cigarette is in contact with the of the slot E. it isunderstood that when wall D and its left-hand end is engaged by thecigarette has been pushed partly out th f t piece G,

5 through the delivery opening F, the opera- The cigarette case shownand described is releases the finger Pi G to allow the very simple inconstruction and the cigaac spring H to retract the ejector G so thatrettes can be singly ejected whenever it is dewhen the foremost cigare eis final y hsired to do so, andthe cigarettes are not liadrawn from thebOX A the f t Piece i5 111 ble to be injured while filling the same intoposition for engaging h l f -h n e 0f the box A or while sliding thesame in the the next following ciga t e said box under the protectingcovering 85 The rearmost cigarette is pressed on by a l t K, follower I,pressed on by a pr ng J resting Having thus described my invention, 1 onthe end of the bOX A oppo it h One claim as new and desire to secure byLetters containing the chamber D. The follower I Patent: s

is provided with a finger piece I engaging 1. In a cigarette case, thecombination of 90 a guideway K in the "form o a Slot f m a box adaptedto contain a row of cigarettes in a covering'plate K fiX d t0 hOX A atand having a delivery opening in one side the open face thereof S0 as toIl OVeI near one end of the box, the latter having a so the cigarettes Bto hold the same in place l t i th id d, a i w t m j f and to guide themovement of the springlower in the saidbox adapted to exert a 95 pressedfollower I. The covering plate K pressure onthe cigarettes to hold theforeterminates a distance from the ejector chamo t cigarette in registerwith the said deber D at the delivery opening F to provide liveryopening, an ejector chamber in the e fi i g p e 1' conveniently placingthe said end and having one edge of its bottom cigarettes in position inthe box A when -\vall spaced from the box to provide a slot 101 fillingthe same into the box. It 1s unleading into the box, an e ector slidablein derstood that when placing the cigarettes the said chamber andprovided with a finger in the box, the user takes hold of the pieceextending through the said end slot to to finger piece I. and pushes thesame the outside of the box, the said e ector haydownward to more thefollower I in a ing one end extending through the said 1e like directionand against the tension of chamber slot, and having on the said end aits spring J. The covering plate K is profoot piece adapted to engageone end of the vided with a wide slot K parallel to the foremostcigarette the other cnd of which is guideway K and extending from thefree in register with the sa d delivery opening,

end of the covering plate K a distance tothe said foot-p1ece having aguide-way en- 11 ward the other end of the said covering gaging the edgeof the said bottom wall of plate. The slot K is sufliciently wide forthe ejector chamber, and a spring in the said the insertion of a fingerto enable the user ejector chamber and pressing the said e ector so toconveniently place the'cigarettes in proper to normally hold the latterin retracted poposition one on top of the other when filling sition. athe box A with cigarettes. lit is understood 2. In a cigarette case, thecombination of a that the cigarettes are usually oval in cross a boxadapted to contain a row of cigarettes section, and in order topermit ofplacing as and having a delivery opening 1n one s de many cigarettes aspossible into the box the near one end of the box, a fixedcoveringcigarettes are super-imposed in the d1rect1on plate on the said box andterminating a d s- 1? of their minor axes, as will be readily undertancefrom the said end of the box, the said stood by reference to Fig. 4.covering plate having a gu de-way, a spring in filling the box A withcigarettes, the actuated follower in the said boxand adaptcc cover C isswung open, and after the box is ed to exert a pressure on thecigarettesto filled the cover C is closed. When it'is dehold theforemostcigarette in register with if sired to remove a cigarette fromthe box it the said exit opening, and a finger piece on .is onlynecessary for the user to exert a push the said follower and slidi'nglyengaging the on the finger piece G so as to move the same said guidewayin the covering plate, the lat= ter having a slot extending parallel totlle name to this specification injhe presencegilideway from the freeend of the covering of two subscribing Witnesses v p ate .to Within adistance of the other end v of the plate to allow of inserting a fingerJAMES SPILLANE' 5 for manipulating the cigarettes on filling Witnesses:

'the box with cigarettes .Tmo, Ge. Heeme in ees limemy whereof I havesignefi my FREE D, fiemmwea

